The New-York City, Places of interest

Introduction
I have been learning English for a long time. Learning foreign languages is
simply impossible without knowing the history, the places of interest the
country the language of which you learn. The big City with its skyscrapers
seems to be exciting and fascinating for me. I want to know more about The
New York City, about its famous places. That is the main reason for my
choosing this topic.
Contents
1. Introduction
1p.
2. New York. Places of interest 2p.
3. Manhattan Geography 2p.
4. The Financial District 3p.
5. Greenwich Village and the East Village. 3p.
6. Statue of Liberty History 4p.
7. City Hall 5p.
8. Brooklyn Bridge 5p.
9. Liberty State Park 6p.
10. The American Museum of the Moving Image 6p.
11. Empire State building 7p.
12. The New York Aquarium 7p.
13. Central Park 9p.
New York. Places of interest.
Although New York is not the capital of the United States, it is the
biggest and most important city of the country. New York is situated on the
Atlantic coast, in the North-East of the country, in the state of New York
at the mouth of the deep Hudson River. It is the financial and media
capital of the world, the center of the American cultural life and the
national leader in fashion and entertainment. The “Big Apple” is nickname
of the city. New York , with the population of 16 mln people, is the second
largest city and the biggest sea port in the world. It was founded in 1613
by Dutch settlers. It consists of 5 large boroughs: Manhattan, the Bronx,
Queens, Brooklyn and Richmond. There are a lot of places of interest in New
York. The most famous of them is The Statue Of Liberty, given to the USA by
France in 1886. Its torch towers about 200 feet above the harbor and can be
seen at night for many miles. It is the largest statue in the world. The
Empire State Building used to be the first, but now it is only the third
tallest building in the world. It is a 102- storied building with an
observatory on he 86 floor. Broadway is the longest street in the world. It
is 12 miles long. It is the center of entertainments. The Metropolitan
Museum is by now probably the richest museum in the world in painting and
other objects of Art, due to what had been bought from Europeans after
World War Two. Besides, we can see the works of American painters there.
The Central Park is the largest park in the world. The Fifth avenue has the
best houses, hotels and fashionable shops. Times Square is known as New
York’s theatre land the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many other museum
are situated there. The Rockefeller center belongs to the Rockefeller
family. It is 15 skyscrapers housing several large corporations. It is also
known as “Radio City”. There is a theatre , too. The United Nations
Headquarters was built in 1952. The building and the grounds contain
sculptures and other works of art, donated by member nations. Among them is
the gift of the Soviet Union.
New York attract people from all over. Get on a subway in New York and
look at the newspapers that people around you are reading . One person is
reading a newspaper in Spanish , another in Chinese, yet others in Arabic ,
Russian , Italian , Yiddish, and French . New York was always a city of
immigrants. It still is .
The are 5 boroughs in New York - Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , the
bronx , and Staten Island. Brooklyn alone has so many people that if it
were a separate city, it would be the fourth largest in the United States.
Manhattan Geography.
Manhattan is an island just 13 miles long and 2 miles wide . It is the
center of American finance, advertising, art theatre, publishing, fashion -
and much more. The borough of Manhattan is what most people think of New
York, one of the most exciting cities in the world.
Manhattan is divided into the East Side and the West Side. The
dividing line is Fifth Avenue. So, for example , East 47th Street begins at
Fifth Avenue, as does West 47th Street.
Manhattan is also divided, with less exactness, into Lower (Downtown),
Midtown and Upper (Up-town) Manhattan. As you go North, or uptown, the
street numbers get higher. Lower Manhattan refers to street numbers below
14th Street and Central Park, and Upper Manhattan to the renaming,
northern, part of the island.
The Financial District .
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle Manhattan. To protect
themselves from attack, they built a sturdy wooden wall. Although it’s now
long gone, this wall gave its name to a street in Lower Manhattan and the
street, in turn, became synonymous with American capitalism. The street, of
course, is Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock
Exchange are both in the Wall Street area. So are many stockbrokers,
investment blanks and others bank, and headquarters of many large
corporations.
To escape the commotion of Wall Street you can visit the nearby South
Street Seaport, an open area of low buildings on the East River. In
addition to many shops and restaurants, the seaport has a museum.
Appropriately, the very first business deal in Manhattan was made in
what became the financial district. As every American schoolchild knows,
the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians, for the ridiculously low price
of 24 dollars worth of beads and trinkets. There is, however, another, less
known side of this: evidently, the Indians who had sold Manhattan did not
themselves live there or in any sense own it. The Dutch and the Indians
alike walked away pleased.
Greenwich Village and the East Village.
Greenwich Village and the East Village have always been at the center
of New York’s excitement. Both have been places for people with different
and creative ideas. Both have an active nightlife with plenty of bars,
restaurants and clubs.
In the early 1900s the charm Greenwich Village attracted bohemians -
writers and artists. By the 1920s, the streets of the Village were filled
with other people, curious to see how these odd Villagers lived. The
artists and writers began moving out, some to the East Village. Today, the
Village has many elements : students attending New York University ; an
active jazz scene; and in Washington Square - it’s center - street
performers, police. Drug dealers, joggers, roller skates, and just about
everyone else.
When bohemians moved to the East Village 1920s, they found an area similar
to the Lower East Side. There were many immigrants, much dirt and grime.
The East Village has changed very little. Over the years it has been a
center for many movements - for the beat poets of the 1950s, the hippies of
the 1960s, and, more recently, for New York’s punk scene.
Statue of Liberty History
The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her
100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to
the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition
of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the
years, the Statue of Liberty has grown to include freedom and democracy as
well as this international friendship. Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for
completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of
Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and
it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and
the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in
the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of
the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment,
and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United
States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize
fights assisted in providing needed funds. Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi
required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues
associated with designing such as colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre
Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design
the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the
Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Back in
America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so
Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial
pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort.
Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to
finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to
rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh
criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.
The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change.
The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the
star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for the War of
1812.) The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibility for the
operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901. After 1901, the care and
operation of the Statue was placed under the War Department. A Presidential
Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a
National Monument on October 15th, 1924 and the monument's boundary was set
at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration of the
National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On
September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's
Island and in 1956, the island's name was changed to Liberty Island.
City Hall
[pic]irectly at the heart of Philadelphia, on Center Square, a
National Historic Landmark rises 510 feet into the air. The exact
geographical center of William Penn's original plan for Philadelphia,
Center Square, known today as Penn Square, was designated by Mr. Penn to
be the location for a building of "publick concerns" - home of
Philadelphia's City Hall.[pic]he huge granite mass of City Hall,
throughout its 100+ year history, has indeed been a building of "publick
concerns". An elaborate temple of local politics, City Hall is one of the
nation's finest examples of French Second -Empire Architectural style.
Controversy has surrounded the building from its earliest conception in
1860 to the present day. It has weathered severe criticism, hints of
bribery and graft, campaigns to demolish it, shortages of funding to
maintain it, and disrespect of vandals who deface it. Yet, it has also
earned a great deal of respect and admiration as a unique architectural
and sculptural achievement. [pic]ts future remains uncertain, but its
story is fascinating.
Brooklyn Bridge
A VISION FOR A BRIDGE: Plans for a crossing between the city of Brooklyn
and lower Manhattan dated back to the early 1800's. When the East River
crossing was planned, Brooklyn, with about 400,000 residents, was still
more rural than urban. The city of New York - which at the time consisted
only of Manhattan - had twice as many residents, and the bridge was seen as
a solution to overcrowding in Manhattan while spurring development in
Brooklyn. The bridge would enable people and goods to cross the East River
quickly, regardless of weather conditions.
From The Great Bridge by David McCullough: A bridge over the East River,
joining the cities of New York and Brooklyn, had been talked about for
nearly as long as anyone can remember… But nothing was done. The chief
problem was always the East River, which is no river at all technically
speaking, but a tidal strait and one of the most turbulent and in that day,
especially, one of the busiest stretches of navigable salt water anywhere
on earth. "If there is to be a bridge," wrote one man, "it must take one
grand flying leap from shore to shore over the masts of the ships. There
can be no piers or drawbridge. There must be only one great arch all the
way across. Surely this must be a wonderful bridge."
Original cross-section of the roadway on the Brooklyn Bridge. (Figure by
Paul Phillipe Cret and Rudolphe Modjeski.)
Liberty State Park
With the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as a
spectacular backdrop to this urban park, Liberty State Park is an
extraordinary and unique public resource. The park hosts more visitors than
any other in New Jersey, currently over 4 million/year, testament to the
public's interest in this special place. Major festivals and other events
are often held in the park. The historic Central Railroad of New Jersey
Terminal (CRRNJ), a grand setting for much of New Jersey's transportation
history in the northeast, sits prominently at the north end of the park.
Liberty Walk, a 2 mile promenade, links a picnic area, interpretive center
and the CRRNJ Terminal while presenting visitors with a sweeping view of
the Hudson River. Liberty Science Center, a popular attraction for students
and families, is located in the park's western section. Liberty State Park
contains both estuarine and upland habitats. Herons, egrets, migratory
shorebirds, and waterfowl utilize habitat at the park. In the winter, long-
eared owls are often seen near the interpretive center. Liberty State Park
was once an urban industrial area. As a result of this historical land use,
the Division of Parks and Forestry has spent the past 25 years planning and
building park infrastructure as well as remediating the site for public
enjoyment. As part of the Division's waterfront improvement initiative for
Liberty State Park, development of an 88 acre Green Park was completed in
1999. The Green Park is made up of crescent lawns, trails and landscaping
improvements, including newly planted trees, shrubs and wildflower meadows.
Approximately 4 miles of paved walkways have been added, as well as 7 plaza
areas located along Liberty Walk, providing views of Ellis Island and the
Statue of Liberty. The "Save Ellis Island!" initiative is meanwhile taking
action to restore important historic features of the island where, long
ago, immigrants to this country made their first stop.
The American Museum of the Moving Images
34-31 35th Street Astoria, NY
The American Museum of the Moving Image specializes in the art, technology
and history of moving image technology. The museum presents exhibitions,
film screenings, lectures, publications, community filmmaking, conferences
and seminars. There is something for everyone here, with exhibits geared
towards "hands-on" experiences. Some examples of this are: dubbing your own
dialogue over an existing movie's soundtrack, electronically "trying on"
famous movie costumes, editing film, creating movies of yourself, and many,
many behind the scenes attractions. An entire day can easily be spent here.
Empire State building
350 Fifth Avenue At Fifth Avenue and 34th Street stands New York City’s
most famous fixture - starring in over 90 movies, a star of gigantic
proportions - The Empire State Building.
Having held the record as the world’s tallest skyscraper for 40 years - the
symbol of this city was constructed in only two years - 1930 to 31 and the
1,453 foot colossus instantly became a tourist magnet. Even King Kong came
to visit!
Enter the spacious Art Deco lobby lathed in 10,000 square feet of marble,
and head downstairs for your ticket to the observation levels. Lines get
pretty long, especially during summer and the holiday season, but you can
fit a trip here any time into your itinerary, they’re open from 9:30 a.m.
until midnight every day.
The New York Aquarium
Like the history of the WCS, the New York Aquarium’s history is also a long
and successful one. On December 10th, 1896, it opened its doors for the
first time in lower Manhattan in what is now known as Battery Park, making
it the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States. On
October 31st, 1902, the Aquarium was adopted into the care of what was then
the New York Zoological Society. At the time, the Aquarium housed only 150
specimens of wildlife.
In 1941, the Aquarium at Battery Park was closed due to the proposed
construction of a bridge from lower Manhattan to Brooklyn. The Aquarium’s
inhabitants were temporarily housed at the Bronx Zoo until the new aquarium
was built after WWII. On June 6th, 1957, the Aquarium opened its doors at
its new location in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
Situated on 14 acres by the sea in Coney Island, the New York Aquarium is
home to over 350 species of aquatic wildlife and over 8,000 specimens. The
Aquarium continues its mission to raise public awareness about issues
facing the ocean and its inhabitants with its special exhibits, public
events and research. At the Aquarium’s Osborn Laboratories of Marine
Sciences (OLMS), several studies are currently underway investigating such
topics as dolphin cognition, satellite tagging of sharks, and coral reefs.
Seahorses (Opened April 20th, 2000):
A stampede of horses began greeting visitors to the New York Aquarium this
spring. Seahorses, that is. Located in Sea Cliffs, this new exhibit
features pygmy seahorses, pot-bellied seahorses, giant seahorses, pipefish
and the dramatic leafy and weedy sea dragons. Find out why these amazing
animals are nicknamed "Mr. Mom" and how they use camouflage to blend into
their surroundings. See how they use a prehensile tail to stay in place and
a suit of armor for protection.
Sea Cliffs:
How much does a walrus weigh? Do sea lions have ears? Could you survive in
the ocean? Can you hold your breath as long as a seal? What does a
California sea otter feel like? The answers to these questions and many
more can be found in this exciting 300-foot recreation of a rocky Pacific
coastal habitat. Sea Cliffs is home to walruses, sea otters, penguins and
seals, all of which can be viewed above and below the water, along with
many different species of fish, invertebrates and plant life.
Explore the Shore:
Experience the energy of electric fish , and walk through a salt marsh.
Stay dry under crashing waves and touch sea stars, crabs and urchins. See
the wonders of kelp beds, magnificent coral formations and hundreds of fish
species. Hands-on exhibits and video displays delight all in this indoor
education and exhibit center.
Aqua theater:
Marine mammal demonstrations are held daily in this 1600 seat stadium.
Beluga Whales:
Did you know Beluga means "white" in Russian? Called the "canaries of the
sea," watch as our Beluga whales swim by the huge panoramic windows of
their exhibit.
Sharks:
See eye-to-eye with 400-pound sand tiger sharks. Watch kite shaped
stingrays "fly" through the water while ponderous nurse sharks patrol the
floor of this 90,000-gallon exhibit. And, of course, the New York Aquarium
is home to thousands of other beautiful and exotic fish. Visit today!
Central Park
59th (Central Park South) to 110th Street (Between 5th and 8th (Central
Park West) Avenues)
Central Park, an 843-acre retreat in the midst of bustling Manhattan, was
developed in 1858 by Frederick Olmsted, the famous landscape architect, and
Calvert Vaux. The park combines beautifully landscaped areas with a
remarkable variety of recreational facilities. Among its many features are:
Belvedere Castle, with scenic views and the children's Discovery Chamber.
The Carousel with its beautiful and historic hand-carved horses. Central
Park Zoo (at 64th Street), with animals living in a 5-acre habitat. The
Charles A. Dana Discovery Center , with scenic views, hands-on exhibits,
and family workshops. Conservatory Garden. Delacorte Theater (at 79th
Street), host to the famous annual Shakespeare in the Park Festival. Great
Lawn, featuring New York Philharmonic performances. The Heckscher Puppet
House, with weekday shows at 10:30am and noon. Lasker Rink. Summer Stage,
presenting free performances and events May through August. Swedish Cottage
Marionette Theatre with performances Tuesday through Friday. Walkman ice
skating rink (at 62nd Street), which is open year-round, with ice-skating
in the winter, and roller skating and miniature golf in the summer. Also
available are the Bethesda Fountain, a model yacht pond, carousel, two
rowing lakes and Sheep Meadow. Guided tours of the Park by Manhattan
National Park Rangers, featuring historic and natural history. The free
tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, last approximately one and one-half hours,
and include a good amount of walking. Horse-drawn carriages. The Dairy in
Central Park near 64th Street and 5th Avenue is an exhibition -information-
sales center for the park where slide presentations on the park are shown
continuously. The Dairy is the location of the Central Park Visitor and
Information Center. Horse enthusiasts will find plenty of bridle paths, and
horse rentals are available at the West 72nd St stables. Visitors to
Central Park can cruise the park lake on a Venetian gondola. The 37.5 foot
Daughter of Venice was built in Venice and donated to the city by New York
Philanthropist Lucy Moses. The gondola rides must be reserved by calling
the boat house at the above number.
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The conclusion
To finish with it’s obligatory to admit that During my working on the
paper, I have learned a lot of facts concerned The New York City. It was
interesting to find out many places of interest of this beautiful
Megalopolis. And to add to this , I got closely acquainted with many
remarkable buildings, theaters, parks. I hope this knowledge will help many
pupils to study foreign countries. While doing my work I increased the
level of my knowledge of English. I hope the paper, I have made, will be
useful and interest for both teachers and students of you school.
BYISK GYMNASIUM №11
FOPREING LANGUAGES CHAIR
Paper
The New York City
Places of Interest
Form
Name
Instructor
Mark
Date
2003
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